[Poncho60]

Is there a way to unplug spray can nozzles or is it pretty much a lost cause? Looking for tips / input. Thx in advance.

[misterp266]

I clean out mine with brakleen.

[mgarblik]

I have had some luck soaking them in lacquer thinner for about 15 minutes, 1/2 hour max and blowing them out with compressed air. One thing I do is pull off good working ones from empty cans and keep them in a plastic tray for situations like this.

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

Too late now, but i always wipe my nozzles right after each use with a bit of thinner wetted good on the edge of a paper towel.
Usually within 15-60 seconds after spraying a coat.
Never have clogs, even with primers.

Originally Posted by mgarblik

One thing I do is pull off good working ones from empty cans and keep them in a plastic tray for situations like this.

I do this too, out of old habit.
There are a few types of nozzles i like better than others and always try them on new cans that have not-so-good nozzles to see if they will work.

[NeighborsComplaint]

Turn can upside down and spray until the paint stops and only the solvent sprays out. Tip is clean and ready for next time.

[JSchmitz]

Originally Posted by mgarblik

I have had some luck soaking them in lacquer thinner for about 15 minutes, 1/2 hour max and blowing them out with compressed air. One thing I do is pull off good working ones from empty cans and keep them in a plastic tray for situations like this.

^^^This, me too. Also invert the can and spray until it quits spraying. This doesn't work for all cans though. Some keep spraying.

[TAKerry]

I get some paint from Eastwood and it seems that their nozzles are propietary. And they also clog super easy. I did similar mgablik, I took a half dozen that were clogged and soaked them in a cup of my gun cleaner I use. Let them sit for a week, blew out and almost all of them worked fine.

[sdbob]

I took clogged ones(usually Rustoleum)apart to see the actual function. Tried carb cleaner seems to work. My main problem the cans run out of 'gas' the propellant.

[David Jones]

Take one off of something else.

[burd]

Soak them before you put the van away.

[MUSLCAH]

After using spray can…I remove the nozzle …then remove the nozzle from my SEM can…..put the nozzle full of paint ,right on the SEM can and give it a couple spray throughs …..good to go

[nytrainer]

Good advice on keeping tips clean. I had a couple of cans of Kubota orange for touch ups of the mower deck. They wouldn’t spray even with known good nozzles. So I puncture a small hole in top of the can with a rag wrapped around it which releases the propellant. Then with a manual kitchen can opener I remove the top and use my detail gun to spray the paint. That would work for solvents too and then you can use a pump sprayer.
I also use same can opener to remove bottom of a body filler can and then push the bottom though the can. If done right it will scrape the inside of the can and get the rest of the filler. Beats sticking your arm in the can trying to get the rest of the filler off the sides and bottom. Something I learned years ago “repairing” and painting train bodies.